Shoe racks



1966 c. K. LOWE 3,292,794

I SHOE RAQKS Filed Feb. 9, 1966 T 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 5 Dec. 20, 1966 I C. K. LOWE SHOE RACKS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1966 INVENTGR CMUDK K LOWE,

g MMM ATTORNEYS Dec. 20, 1966 c. K. LOWE 3,292,794

SHOE RACKS Filed Feb. 9, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ZNV E N TOR mu0 K mil/i,

4 I A4,! mm,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior application filed January 10, 1964, Serial No. 337,028, now US. Patent 3,254,354, granted June 7, 1966.

This invention relates to shoe racks. More particularly, this invention relates to adjustable shoe racks having a plurality of shoe trees mounted thereon.

In the past, shoe racks have been available with shoe trees for storing shoes in a stretched condition. However, the shoe trees used in combination with these old racks do not usually lend themselves to convenient installation of shoes on the rack nor do they always provide a proper shoe stretching action. One type of these old racks incorporates a shoe tree comprised of toe and heel members connected by an elongated leaf spring. Installation of a shoe on such a rack requires both hands and much manipulation to reach around the interfering rack, insert the toe portion of the tree in a shoe, steady the tree relative to the rack, and bend the leaf spring to bring the heel member of the tree into position in the heel of the shoe.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rack for commercial display or domestic storage of shoes that maintains such shoes in an elevated position from the floor and that requires a minimum of space.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a rack, a shoe carrying portion of which is in a posit-ion that is convenient for installation of shoes.

It is another object of this invention to provide a shoe tree rack having trees fixed thereto which are resiliently compressible, both longitudinally and transversely, to provide for convenient installation of shoes thereon and a proper stretching action to shoes so installed.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a shoe rack which permits convenient, one handed installation of shoes thereon.

To achieve these objects the present invention provides a shoe rack having a base, a shoe tree mounting member connected to said base and fixed relative thereto, a plurality of shoe trees fixedly connected to said mounting member, each of said shoe trees comprising a compressible toe portion and a heel portion, and spring-loaded connecting means slidably and compressibly connecting said toe and said heel portions and urging said toe portion away from said heel portion in a longitudinal direction.

Certain embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of a shoe rack of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional side view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional, top view of the toe portion of the shoe tree of the present invention taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a modification of the shoe rack of this invention, a portion thereof being broken away; 7

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional, side view of the shoe rack shown in FIG. 4 and taken along line 5-5 thereof;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of another modification of the shoe rack of this invention;

FIG. 7 is an end elevation thereof, a part being in section; and

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section, partly in elevation, of one of the shoe trees.

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Referring in more detail to the drawings, the present invention provides a support for a plurality of shoe trees 10. 'Each shoe tree 10 comprises a heel portion 12 having a fixed leg 14 extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the tree. Also provided in the heel por tion 12 is a longitudinal bore 16 slidably receiving a stretcher bar 18 having slots 20 in the sides thereof. A coil spring 22 is positioned in the bottom of the bore '16 so as to urge the stretcher bar 18 outwardly of the bore 16, the stretcher bar 18 being retained in the bore by pins 24 or the like projecting through the heel portion 12 into the slots 20.

As shown in detail in FIG. 3, a toe portion 26 of the shoe tree 10 is comprised of two half sections 28 and 30 with resilient spacer elements 32 such as rubber washers, springs, or the like, positioned between the half sections. The space between the half sections 28 and 30, and therefore the overall tree width, may be altered by varying the number or width of the resilient spacer elements 32 to accommodate different sized shoes on the tree. Bores 34 are provided in the half sections 28, 30, and in the spacer elements 32 to receive threaded connectors 36, or the like, which resiliently connect the half sections of the toe portion 26. Rear faces 38 and 40 of the half sections 28 and 30, respectively, are provided with semicircular recesses 42 to receive loosely the forward end of the stretcher bar 18 which is pivotally retained therein by a pin 44 or the like to provide a limited hinging action between the toe portion 26 and the stretcher bar 18 about the pin 44.

Because the spring 22 acts to resiliently urge the toe portion 26 longitudinally away from the heel portion 12, not only is a shoe properly stretched in a longitudinal direction but also ease in installation of a shoe on the shoe tree is enhanced. Similarly, the feature of this invention wherein the toe portion 26 is transversely compressible by virtue of the provision of the resilient spacer elements 32 is significant in this respect.

The installation of a shoe on this rack may be conveniently achieved through the use of but one hand. It is merely necessary to place a shoe over the toe portion 26 of the tree 10 While pressing the shoe longitudinally to compress the coil spring 22. When the coil spring is sufiiciently compressed, the heel of the shoe may be swung upwardly to engage the heel portion 12 of the tree 10. Because the heel portion 12 is stable by virtue of its fixed connection to the support, engagement of the shoe with the heel portion 12 of the tree may be accomplished with ease.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of shoe trees 10, as previously described, have the heel portions 12 fixedly mounted along a horizontally extending mounting bar 46. The bar 46 has a square cross section. Mounting brackets 48 are provided, each having a square bend 50 conforming to the square cross section of bar 46, and being adapted to removably support the same. The ends of the brackets 48 are provided with apertures receiving fasteners, such as screws 52, for installation of the rack on a Wall, a door, or the like. The positioning of the shoe trees 10 may be rotationally altered relative to the Wall or supporting surface for convenient shoe installation by merely longitudinally sliding the square bar 46, thereby removing the ends of the square bar 46 from the square bends 50 and reinserting the bar in a different rotational position.

Although a single bar 46 is shown, it should be noted that a plurality of bars 46 may be supported so that the longitudinal axis of the bars are positioned along a single horizontal line. Further, it is within the scope of this invention to provide any desirable mounting bracket arrangement to support the shoe trees and mounting bar on a surface in the manner suggested herein.

In a modification shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the present invention is incorporated in a standup rack 54. In this modification a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally extending, square, shoe tree mounting bars 46 are provided, each having a plurality of shoe trees fixedly mounted along the length thereof. Any of the mounting bars 56 of this modification are interchangeable with the bar 46 of the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The forward face of each of the end members 55 of the rack 54 is provided with a series of vertically spaced notches 56, the sides of which form a right angle. These notches, together with right angle brackets 57 fixed to the end members 55, form square apertures to removably receive and support the ends of the mounting bars 46.

Legs 58 are pivotally connected to the end members 55 by hinges 60 and braced by pivot arms 62 or the like. The lower ends of the end members 55 and legs 58 are provided with feet 64, each foot having an aperture 66 for receiving a connector to attach the rack to a supporting surface.

This modification also. permits shoe tree orientation relative to the remainder of the rack to be rotationally altered by removing, rotating and reinserting the shoe tree mounting bars 46 in the square apertures of the rack 54.

In the further modification shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a rack 74 for a pair of shoe trees 10- is of a character such that it may be applied to a door D, for example, a locker room door. The rack 74 has radiating legs 75 with an outstanding post 76 extending from the junction thereof.

The fixed leg 14 of each shoe tree 10 is secured rigidly to the post 76, the respective legs extending in alignment at opposite sides thereof. This disposes the pair of shoe trees 10 in side-by-side relation. In this form, the heel portions 12 and toe portions 26 are also turned toward each other, being thus held by the fixed legs 14, so as to dispose the top of the shoes toward each other on the door.

By the provision of a longitudinally and tranversly compressible shoe tree the heel portion of which is fixed to a rack, each of the forms of the present invention heretofore described provides a shoe tree rack which not only offers proper stretching action of shoes mounted thereon but also provides for easy, one-handed installation of shoes on the rack. Further, because the orientation of the shoe trees relative to the rack and the supporting surface may be rotationally altered, the trees may be positioned in the most convenient location for shoe installation.

Various other modifications and alternations will suggest themselves readily to persons skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that the foregoing be considered as exemplary only, and that the scope of the invention be ascertained from the following claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe rack comprising a supporting structure, a plurality of shoe trees, each having a heel portion and a toe portion yieldably movable longitudinally toward and from the heel portion, a leg fixed rigidly to the heel portion of each shoe tree, and a support member fixed rigidly to the supporting structure and having the legs of both shoe trees rigidly fixed thereto supporting the shoe trees thereby.

2. A shoe rack according to claim 1, wherein the support member comprises a rack bar held in rigid relation to the supporting structure and with the fixed legs of the shoe trees extending therefrom.

3. A shoe rack according to claim 2, wherein the rack bar has a polygonal cross section and the supporting structure has angular bent portions surrounding the rack bar and holding said bar rigidly against rotation in the sockets with the leg of each shoe tree extending normal, to a side face thereof and anchoring the bar against displacement in applying or removing the shoes.

4. A shoe tree, according to claim 2, wherein the sup: porting structure comprises a pair of mounting brackets having the rack bar extending in bridging relation thereetween, each of the brackets having a bent portion offset and conforming to the cross section of the rack bar and receiving the rack bar therein with the leg of each shoe tree extending normal to the side face thereof and anchoring the bar against displacement in applying or removing the shoes.

5. A shoe rack comprising a-plurality of shoe trees, each having a heel portion and .a toe portion yieldably movable longitudinally toward and from the heelportion, a leg rigidly fixed to the heel portion of each shoe tree, and a rack bar having thelegs of the shoe trees fixed thereto,- supporting structure including .a pair of upright mounting bars with braces pivoted thereto, each of the mounting bars having means on an edge thereof conforming to the cross-sectional shape of the rack bar and receiving the rack bar therein to hold the shoe trees in proper angular positions.

6. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of shoe trees, each having a heel portion and a toe portion yieldably movable longitudinally toward and from the heel portion, a leg rigidly fixed to the heel portion of each shoe tree, and a rack bar having the legs of the shoe trees fixed thereto, supporting structure including a stand adapted to be secured rigidly to a door, said stand having a post fixed thereto and extending outwardly therefrom and having the rack bar extending in opposite directions at the outer end of the post, the shoe trees being held in side-byside relation on the projecting portions of the rack bar.

7. A shoe tree according to claim 1, wherein a stretcher,

bar extends from the toe portion in telescoped relation with the heel portion, and a coiled spring compressed in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the stretcher bar and biased in a direction for urging the toe portion axially away from the heel portion,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,024,892 12/1935 Soper 21 1l23 2,452,689 11/1948 Sheppard ,12-53.7 2,517,967 8/1950 Britton 12-l15.8 2,556,637 6/1951 Stewart l2-l15.6 2,879,527 3/1959 Davis 12l15.8

FOREIGN PATENTS 9,389 5/1901 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SHOE RACK COMPRISING A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, A PLURALITY OF SHOE TREES, EACH HAVING A HEEL PORTION AND A TOE PORTION YIELDABLY MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY TOWARD AND FROM THE HEEL PORTION, A LEG FIXED RIGIDLY TO THE HEEL PORTION OF EACH SHOE TREE, AND A SUPPORT MEMBER FIXED 